Drop-pilot or cow-catcher.



N. MAXFIELD.

DROP PILOT 0R COW CATCHER. APPLICATION FILED JULY 1 1915. v v 1,178,748. Patented Apr. 11,1916.

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N. MAXFIELD.

DROP PILOT 0R COW CATCHER.

APPLICATION 111.20 JULY 1, 1915.

Patented Apr. 11,1916. k 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

21 I 3/ x 2o 1 in 33 151v W/ /Z j L v/ a? o a? o 12' o 39 v 16 1 l v WIT/V588 la "VI/ENTOR MW l 1 g ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLAQIIJQRAPH co., WASHINGTON. D.

N. MAXFIELD.

DROP PILOT 0R COW CATCHER.

APPLICATION man JULY 1, 1915.

1,1 78,743. Patented Apr. 11, 1 91 6. H 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3. W 3 36 19 3 q as w It F G 0 Q 1s THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH c0., WASHINGTON, D. c.

N MAXFIELD.

DROP PILOT 0R COW CATCHER/ APPLICATION FILED JULY-1,1915.

1,178,743. I Patented Apr. 11,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

v WITNESS INVENTOH w 0 O mmfi 73 .4

I II v 5: fi Q ATTORNEY THE COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH ,CCL. WASHINGTON, u. C,

NEL SON MAXFIELD, OF HILLSBOBO, TEXAS.

nnor rrno'r on. cow-carcnnn.

Specification of Letters Patent. P t nt 1, j g,

Application filed July 1, 1915. seriai'ivo. 37,426.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, NELSON MAXFIELD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hillsboro, in the county of Hill and State of Texas, have invented certain new. and useful Improvements in'Drop-Pilots or Cow-Catchers, of which the following is a specification.

My inventlon has relation'to a drop pilot or cowcatcher for street or steam rail-ways and in such'connection it relates more particularly to the arrangement and construction of the pilot'or cowcatcher and of the mechanism for operating or controlling the same. In the operation of street or steam railways it is frequently desirable to sweep relatively large bodies such as animals from the tracks and yet to permit the engine, train or car to pass over smallerobstacles such as pebbles, light boards, etc., without throwing the same from the track. In case of human beings it is especially desirable to have a pilot or cowcatcher ,on an engine so that if the train cannot be stopped before the the pilot will throw the personis struck, person from the track. Heretofore such pilots or cowcatchers as usually constructed were fixed to the front of the engine or car with no vertical play and the pilot or cowcatcher when supportednear enoughv to the track to throw the person off and not permit of his rolling beneath the catcher and the wheels was hung too low to permit of the train passing over the smaller and inanimate obstructions on the track between therails.

One object of my present invention is to I provide a pilot or cowcatcher which is held. normally some distance above the track and which in case of emergency may be dropped down to proper positionto. catch the person and prevent him from rolling under the wheels.

A second object of the invention is to provide simple and eflicient means for supporting the vertically movable catcher or pilot and for readily raising and lowering the same in said supporting means.

A third object of the invention is to provide in conjunction with the means for, operating the pilot, an interdependent means for setting the. brakes and blowing the whistle when the catcher or pilot is dropped, the position of the pilot thus proving conclusively whether the brakes were operated and the whistlesounded.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a singlelever controlling the various mechanisms, said lever having a removable handle and arranged to be operated manually by the driver or motorman, the movement of, said lever also controlling the operation of the track sanding device.

- anisms. Fig. 3, is a front elevational view of the same. Fig. 4, is a top orv plan view "partly in horizontal section. Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line of Fig. 6. Fig. 6, is a ho'rizontalsec tional view taken. on line y-y of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7, is a detail illustrating the adjustable yoke and rod connection for the raising and lowering device, Fig. 8, is, a detail illustrating the spring controlled latches for 'diverting the downward movement of the pilot frame. Fig. 9, is a sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 4, and Fig. 10, a detail view of a portion ofthe sanding mechanism. Referring to the drawings 1 represents the fear or engine to the front end 2 of'which the frame 3 for the cowcatcher or pilot 4 is secured. The sides of frame 3 are hollow,

box-like, legs5 in which standards 6, 6 are adapted to, be elevated or lowered. These I standards 6, 6 are connected to or form part of av frame 7 carrying the cowcatcher' or pilot 4. To permit the frame 7 i to move up and down between the legs 5, these legs 5 are slotted as at 8 to form channel ways in each of whichfa tongue or strip 9 connecting the standards 6 to frame? is adapted to slide. To prevent jamming of the standard 6 in boxes 5 and to insure perfect vertical movement of frame 7 between said boxes 5,

each standard has at its sides two sets of roller bearings of which set 10. is interposed between the slotted 'side' of a box 5 and a standard while the other set 11 isinterposed between the oppositeside of the standard and an adjustable partition 12 interposed between the wall of box 5 and said standard.

- Setscrews 13 serveas a means for adjusting the partition and to maintain the roller bearings 10 and 11 in proper relationship so that the standard 6 may slide up and down in the boxes without bending as Well as with no appreciable side play or wabbling. Cushioning springs 14 at the top of each standard 6 serve normally under tension to limit the standards in their vertical movement, up and down in th boxes 5.

The rear uprights 4 of the cowcatcher 4 are provided with rollers 4 so that in the up and down movement of the pilot 4 it will ride on the front faces of the boxes 5. The frame 7 carrying standard 6 and pilot or cowcatcher 4 has an upper horizontal strip 7 a connected by two adjustable straps or links 15 with crank arms 16 projecting from the crank shaft 17 having bearings in the sides of the boxes 5 preferably under the floor 1" of the car or engine 1.

A preferred means of rocking the shaft 17 to thus raise or lower the crank arms 16 and the frame 7 and cowcatcher 4 consists of a crank arm 18 connected by link 19 with a bell crank lever 20 extending upward above the floor 1 in position for quick manual operation by the motor man or driver. A removable handle 21 on the free end of lever 20 forms a means when in position for controlling the operation of the device. WVhen this handle is removed the lever 20 is of such a short length that it cannot be grasped by unauthorized persons to operate the cowcatcher.

The frame of the cowcatcher 4 is connected by cord 22 and spring 23 with the lever arm 24 of a whistle 25. The frame and cowcatcher 4 when dropped will thus actuate the whistle 25 which will blow until the frame and cowcatcher are elevated to normal or inoperative position. To positively limit the downward movement of frame 7 and standards 6 in the boxes, as well as to maintain the frame 7 in lowermost position, two locking dogs 26 are employed (see Figs. 2 and 8). The tongues or strips 9 of standards 6 are notched or indented as at 27 and the locking dogs 26, -pivoted in boxes 28 on the sides of legs 5, are forced into these notches 27 by means of the springs 28*. If lifting force is exerted on the frame 7 the dogs 26 will slip out of the notches 27 but otherwise the frame remains locked to lowermost position.

The bottom of frame 7 and of the cowcatcher 4 is provided with wheels or rolls 29 which when the frame is dropped will rest upon the rails 30. When the frame and cowcatcher are to be dropped, the hand lever 21 is pushed forward and thus releases or brings into operating position a foot lever 31 normally held in locking engagement with a cam 32 on rock shaft 17 by means of a spring 33. v

The foot lever 31 under tension of spring 33 looks into a notch of cam 32 to prevent accidental operation of the shaft 17 and it also controls through said cam 32 and shaft 17 the setting of the brakes or brake shoes 34, as follows: A crank arm 35 is connected by link 36 with a block 37 sliding preferably in the top of a sand box 38. The block 37 carries an arm; 39 operating the brake lever 40 which carries at its lower end the shoe 34 and is pivoted intermediate of its ends on a brake frame 41. The dropping of frame 7 will thus set the brakes.

The sand box 38 has at its base the pipes 42 leading to the tracks or rails 30 and its outlet to these pipes 42 is controlled by valve '43. Arms 44 on either side of the box 38 operate the valve and a bail 45 connecting the arms 44 with a crank arm 46 on rock shaft 17 (see Figs. 2 and 4). When the rock shaft 17 is operated to lower the pilot or cowcatcher4 the arm 46, through bail 45, and arms 44 opens the valve 43 and sand is discharged.

In the operation of the device, when the cowcatcher is to be lowered, the handle 21 is grasped and the foot lever 31 pushed forward simultaneously. The rock shaft 17 is released and is operated ,by the forward movement of lever 20 to drop the pilot, set the brakes, blow the whistle and release the sand. One shaft controls the operation of all'the mechanisms. By reason of the roller bearings for the cowcatcher frame, no lubrication of parts other than shaft 17 is required.

Having thus described'the nature and ob jects of my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a deviceof the character described, a cow catcher, a frame supporting the same, standards carrying said frame, hollow legs depending from the vehicle and inclosing the standards, said standards having'a range of vertical movement in said legs, and means for raising and lowering said frame and standards, said means controlled manually at the platform of the vehicle, in combination with roller bearings interposed between the interior of the legs and the exterior of the standards and arranged to guide and support the standards in their vertical movement in said legs.

2. In a'device of the character described, a cow catcher, a frame supporting the same, standards carrying said frame, hollow legs depending from the vehicle and inclosing the standards, said standards having-a range ofvertical'movement in said legs, and means for raising and lowering said frame and standards, said means controlled manually at the platform'of the vehicle, in'combination with an adjustable partition in each of said legs, two sets of roller bearings interposed respectively between the interior of the legs and the-exterior of the standards ani between said partition and said standar s.

8. In a device of the character described, a cow catcher, a frame supporting the same, standards carrying the said frame, hollow legs depending from the vehicle and inclosing the standards, a means for raising the frame and standards in said legs, roller bearings interposed between the interior of the legs and the exterior of the standards, a whistle and means connecting the frame with said whistle whereby upon the downward movement of the frame and standard in said legs, said whistle will be operated by said means.

4:. In a device of the character described, a cow catcher,'a frame'supporting the same, standards carrying the. said frame, hollow legs depending from the vehicle and inclos- Copies oi this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "commissioner of Patents, I

ing the standards, a means for raising the frame and the standards in said legs, roller bearings interposed between the interior of' the legs and the exterior of'the standards,

by said means, I

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. NELSON. MAXFIELD.

Witnesses:

' W. S. MARSHALL,

WALTER NERREN.

Washington, D. c.

said legs, said brake mechanism will vbe set 1' 

